This invention relates to a novel vise with rotatable and vertical adjustment which has for its primary object the provision of means for facilitating the vertical adjustment by decreasing the friction to a minimum. A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a vise having a gas spring of the type shown e.g. in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,595,552; 4,045,008; or 4,156,523; which counterbalances the weight of the vertically movable parts of the vise at least partially, said gas spring comprising a piston-and-cylinder unit the longitudinal axis of which being inclined with respect to the vertical in such way that the tilting momentum exerted by the cantilever parts of the vise and the workpiece is counteracted by the gas spring. Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention with some variations and modifications.